The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-10-04
FARMS AND FARMERS.
Short Talks With the Men Who
Guide the PloW.
QUESTIONS oNFARM TOPICS ANSWERED
Preparations to Ward Off the Evil Effects of
Winter Rains.


comes down in winter and early spring More
OF the water also. at these seasons, soaks into
The earth and escapes through springs etc.
Wet weather springs, for instance, are oftener
seen in winter than in summer. During the
colder months there is comparatively little
evaporation OF water from the surface-in
summer there is great deal. Hence, in win
ter, whatever material rainwater can dissolve
IN the soil, is liable to be carried off by the
water in its downward course into springs
and be lost to the soil. In summer
on the contrary, evaporation tends to bring the
water from below to the surface-and when
the water evaporates it leaves behind, at or
near the surface, whatever materials it may
have dissolved. The danger of loss of plant
food by teaching is very much greater, there
fore, in winter and early spring, than it is in
summer. Can it be prevented? Yes, in good
measure.
On several different farms in this country
and in England, where the land has been
thoroughly underdrained with tiles, the water
escaping from the tiles has been carefully
caught and analysed to see what it was carry
ing off from the soil. OF course the
water from the drains represents all
the rainwater which fell on the
land less that which evaporated
into the air. The principal substance found in
the drain waters is some compound of nitrogen
(nitrates), that most costly of all manurial
bodies. There is however. a marked differ
ence IN the quantity passing off from field
upon which crop is growing and one which is
bare, or covered only with dead vegetation
Land covered with dead weeds or grass, or
dead cotton stalks or corn stalks is just as La
BILE to lose its nitrogen through teaching as one
which is perfectly bare. What is the obvious
inference and lesson to be drawn? Always
keep a growing crop on land, and especially so
through the winter and spring.
Now under our system Of farming
the reverse is generally the case. We
keep our lands pretty well covered with growing
crops through the summer, when there is little
danger of teaching, and leave them perfectly
bare in winter, when the danger is great. This
Is a very serious defect in our system of farm
ing and should be corrected. 1t can be done by
sowing largely of fall grains-wheat, oats, rye,
and barley may all contribute to this desirable
end. Rye especially is we'll fitted for this
work. 1t is so hardy; will grow on poor as
well as rich soil viii furnish early green feed
in the spring, and may be turned under, with
great benefit to the land, in time to start a
summer crop on the same land. AS opportu-
nifty offers, therefore, sow corn and cotton
fields in rye, up to the first of December;
but the earlier the better, that
the plants may get strong and send out album
dant roots to gather up and hold the soluble
portions of the soil that are liable to be leached
out You may not be able to get seed enough
to SOW all your land, but get what you can and
see to it that YOU raise enough seed to SOW all
your land next year. A farmer should always
raise an abundance of pea and rye seed. If he
does not he is very apt to neglect seeding down
his lands, when his better Judgment tells him
he ought to do so.
Where winter grasses and clover can be
grown successfully they do the work under
discussion better than any other crops.
They stand ut the head of these anti-leach-
ing, soil-preserving crops But as they will
grow only on rich soils, cannot be so generally
utilized as rye. The latter will grow anywhere
in the cotton states, and on any kind of soil.
W. L. j.
JH T. Rankston, Miss: have mare that
can't get up when she lies down;has had good use
of herself after would help her up till this week.
She has been on the lift since July 18th. Has been
treated for weakness OF the loins. l used ad-
hesive plaster Oh her loins and gave her satpetre
and turpentine. She urinates with ease and it is
not very foul only after first time two; she stalls
after helping her up. She walks OFF as brisk any
horse but when she goes to lay down she falls broad
Gded or staggers backwards and drops down. She
always lays stretched out on her left side. Please
tell me how to treat, and what her disease Isl she
is with foal PIT May 1st, 1887
1t is possible that the nerves that control
some of the muscles of the hind legs are at
fault. You might put the mare on course of
Btrychnine. Begin with one grain once day
and gradually increase the dose to three grains
a day, by the end of two weeks If at that
time symptoms improve, but trouble not en-
tirely silenced, stop medicine for a week and
then begin again.
VA. c., jamestown, Ga. have had mule that
has cough for two years. She coughs more just
before day than any other time, and at times it
strains ter to get her breath; her throat seems to
be stopped up with phlegm: Please give a remedy
that will cure her
There is probably thickening OF the mucus
membrane of the windpipe and more OR less
inflammation. Put seton or rowel on side
of neck near the jaw, and give daily a gill of
linseed oil with thirty drops of spirits of tur-
pentine. If this does not relieve in two weeks
give extract of belladonna half drachm
powdered dgatelis a half drachm twice a
day, and rub in well down side of windpipe an
ointment of biniodde Of mercury one drachn,
and lard one ounce. Dress the blister it
causes every day with pure lard.
GF A., GALLON, Ala: I have horse who has
chronic SCOUTS he shows only when driven. The
discharges are then very profuse and loose. His
food a ses from him undigested. He seems per
fectly wei except when driven. Is it common for
horses to have chronic scours? Please give me some
remedy.
1t is not uncommon for nervous horses TO be
affected with frequent discharges from tie
bowels, especially in the early portions of a
drive. Physic is not to be recommended in
such cases, because they will be only palia-
tive, not curative, and the continued use of
them would ultimately impair the health OF
the animal The proper plan to pursue, is not
to let the animal drink water for some time
after eating. Filling the stomach with water
before digestion is completed, tends to wash
the food ont of the stomach into the intestine
prematurely, and produces indigestion. He
should not be fed too much at one meal three
feelings a day at equal intervals, and, if posi-
BILE, should not be driven soon after
eating. If his teeth are bad his feed should be
ground. Driving slowly at first is another pre-
caution it may be well to take. Avoid every
thing likely to excite the animal.